THR Rainbow Hippy on the other side!

[Cindy99]

Hi @souldancer - I also have the sore knee and leg numbness or sort of pins and needles feelings but in my lower leg. What do your medical people think causes this? My physio thinks it is the saphenous nerve and has me doing an exercise to "mobilize" the nerve. It hurts and feels spongy to go down on my knee. I am in week 8.
So glad to hear that you are feeling more positive. Keep it up!

? sciatic nerve. That's seemingly what's causing my knee pain/ leg sensations.

 

[Granny Di]

My physio did some tests and said it was not sciatic but saphenous nerve and I agree because there is no pain down the back of my leg or in glutes. I've had sciatica and know what that feels like.

 

[souldancer]

@Granny Di - I know with the Anterior approach surgery, there is a tendency to injure the
lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. That is what I have going on since the incision is
almost directly above the pathway of the nerve in question. Also believe I have some
issue to with the saphenous nerve too.

@Cindy99 - Luckily no sciatic pain. Just my surgery induced nerve issues. I also
know that can take 3 to 13 months for nerve damage to repair if ever.

Goodness we are having a major thunderstorm and the rain is coming downing in sheets.
The back yard will be flooding over, good thing I live on a hill, what we think are hills in
flat Florida. Major thunder boomers rolling and echoing across the sky.

 

[souldancer]

5 weeks from surgery:

Not much new to report either. I'm still working on going up and down the stairs smoothly
foot over foot. I have cut back on tramadol to one pill every 6 hours. No problems with
sleeping in the night.

I do partial PT while still in bed before I get up. Then do the standing ones which I keep
finding easier and easier to do. Such as a straight leg left, while my range of motion is
not quite there it is adequate & good place to improve slowly. I have started preparing meals,
doing laundry, grocery shopping and other daily life activities.

Been driving with no issues, can easily move right operated leg back and forth between
the gas and brake. The only thing I still have not attempted is vaccuuming which I
think I will tackle Mon and do a room and rest and so on.

I have been back to work for 2-3 hours doing Lymphatic Drainage and CranioSomatic therapy.
That's seems to be working for now and will maintain for another few weeks.

The swimming is still out as I'm waiting for the last 2 scabs to completely heal and fall off.
I think that is where I will see the biggest improvements in my range of motion and
strength, need to work on the cardio, but my body likes the weightlessness in the water.

The cane is mostly a nuisance during the day but I do need by the end of the day, when
I get tired and fatigued. And the normal standing erect from sitting is going to be
taking a few minutes for the leg and hip to sort itself out before I can start to move.

Yoga is another activity that I have put on hold for another 2 weeks. So that is where
I am at. Feeling pretty good. Taking my time to recup and not over do.

 

[Granny Di]

And the normal standing erect from sitting is going to be
taking a few minutes for the leg and hip to sort itself out before I can start to move.

You seem to be making good progress soul dancer. I can't imagine working after such a short time. Id be falling asleep on the job. I find the getting up and moving takes effort just like you said and the longer I sit the harder it is. I took the Grandkids to a magic show and sat too long -almost couldn't make it up the stairs after.
Keep it going! You are doing great!

 

[souldancer]

@Granny Di - Thanks for the encouragement! We all progress so differently.

Although I forgot to mention about the horrible time I ran out of my pain pills. Entirely my
fault, didn't realize that I was that low. Anyway, I had to take Percocet which I had not been
taking for 2 weeks and I felt sooo bad. My head was pounding, my body aching, my skin
had the creepie-crawlie feeling, I was very emotional and teary eyed. My husband said
I was having withdrawal symptoms, which I tend to agree. Because as soon as I had myself
back up on the right dosage of tramadol - NO PAIN & I was able to move around again,
willingly. Took a few days.

So that was when I needed 2 tramadols per very 6 hours. Now I'm down to one pill every
6 hrs. Slow controlled progress on decreasing the pain pills. That would be another nice
milestone to be done with.

 

[Granny Di]

Good for you! It is easy to think we don't need the pain pills but it doesn't take long to find out when you don't take them. I tend to overdo it when I am feeling pain free and then I suffer. I wouldn't want to become addicted to oxy or something strong like that so I am sticking to tylenol and hoping it doesn't ruin my liver or kidneys.
Cheers!

 

[souldancer]

Hello to all April Rainbow Hippies! I hope you are all on the way to health and happiness

I have been busy getting my life back together and wanted to post the latest.

11 weeks from surgery.

I have been doing yoga, swimming and walking which has all contributed to my feelings of
gratefulness that I did the hip surgery. I'm completely off pain meds !! yah another big
milestone.

Last night I went dancing for the first time in months and decided to keep it toned down but
ended up dancing for 2 hours and at the end of the evening not aching and limping off the dance floor.
Nor did I have to take any ibuprofen before I went to bed.

So today I'm a bit sore but nothing where I had been pre-op. I plan on only swimming today,
which is 16 laps and some water aerobics with the legs.

I am working on my range of motion in the hip as it is still hard to bring my operated knee to chest
and laterally rotating out but I'm patient and each week I seem to feel more comfortable and able
to stretch slightly more. Again discomfort but no pain!

My scar is starting to smooth out as I continue to massage gently and I believe the internal
suture are breaking down and being absorbed back so my muscle tissue is getting more pliable.

Now I'm getting electrical zingers down the "log thigh" and hope that is the nerves re-routing.

I'm back to work but only doing 5-6 hour a week and gradually phasing in more hours.

The next thing for me is to get advanced bodywork like Rolfing. I have a high left shoulder due to the former
use of the cane. And both my knees are still tight so I will also add in acupuncture too.

Thanks to all the great info other hippies and moderators posted, my hip journey is continuing at a
slow, methodical pace !!

 

[sunbunny]

@souldancer congrats on all of your progress! Dancing must be such an accomplishment. I too am massaging out scar tissue and it seems to be getting better. Also have tight knots on I bands that I am working on. Hugs